The annual Liberal Arts and Sciences Symposium (LASS) brings together the Oglethorpe community for a multiple-day celebration of exemplary analytic and creative work produced by Oglethorpe students during the academic year.

Following a year of studying the theme “Crime and Punishment” in the Core curriculum, students were challenged by a keynote and Q&A session with basketball legend Maya Moore and her entrepreneur and activist husband, Jonathan Irons on April 24, launching this year’s symposium. Moore and Irons shared the story of how wrongful incarceration and, ultimately, exoneration fueled their work in judicial system reform and inspired students to get involved and pursue justice.

Later that day, students from the Hammack School of Business reflected on their spring internships in presentations to faculty, staff and their peers. Students reported on the valuable, on-the-job experiences they gained at companies and organizations like UKG, Aprio, The Shopping Center Group and Thrive Farmers International.

“The Core Self” honorees (from L to R): Marshall Davis Hancock, Cynthia Tinschmidt Leal, Jennifer Velasquz, Amina Sahovic and Jennah Waters

Day two of LASS featured several events. At Artivism: The Core Self, students discussed the deeply personal works displayed in the new exhibition at the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art. Each piece in the exhibition explores themes of the Core curriculum, the uniquely Oglethorpe academic program that challenges students to consider our society, its history, and their place in all of it. Students Amina Sahovic, Jenni Velasquez, Cynthia Tinschmidt Leal, Marhsall Davis Hancock and Jennah Waters were all awarded for their work.

In the afternoon, students participated in a public speaking competition, a LASS event first introduced last year. Students were each allotted five minutes to deliver a clear, concise speech on a topic of their choosing, like “How to Sew a Button!” Student presenters included Marshall Davis-Hancock, Ashleigh Ewald, Tylena Patton-Bullock, Hannah Williams, Eli Yustein, Carley Bell, Cameron Martin, Berta Cuesta and Naomi Wagner.

Later that evening, the annual Honors & Awards ceremony recognized academic excellence and leadership contributions throughout the academic year.

The final day—always the busiest—saw campus buildings abuzz with student presenters eager to discuss their academic work’s culmination this semester. The program was densely scheduled with presentations, discussions, and exhibitions that presented a comprehensive view of academics at Oglethorpe. Students from the Honors program also presented their theses, putting the final punctuation on years of faculty-guided independent research.

In a special addition to this year’s program, students received a comprehensive course in crafting media pitches with two professionals from acclaimed PR firm Jackson Spalding. Head of Media Relations Ted Metzger and Field Support Team member Jazmyne Hankerson worked one-on-one with students as they crafted pitch ideas for a real Atlanta client.

Throughout the LASS exhibitions and presentations, the critical thinking and research skills honed throughout the year were on full display. The symposium wrapped up with a celebratory dinner on the Academic Quad, where students and faculty could further connect over the many new ideas shared throughout the week.

Take a look at some of the highlights of the 2024 Liberal Arts & Sciences Symposium: